The Scent of Sake (40 page)

They were lucky to be able to save the rest.” He looked at Rie. “Well, I hope our death records weren’t destroyed. But double

our donation? That seems too much, don’t you think? We should discuss it with Kinno tomorrow.”

“We don’t have to decide tonight.”

Yoshitaro reached for his teacup and took a sip, then picked up the teapot and held it toward Rie.

Rie sipped, then set the cup down on the black lacquer tray. She thought of the evenings she had spent thus with her father. Now she was the parent, not the child, and the relationship was far less peaceful than hers with her father.

“Yoshi,” she said abruptly, “this year we will not make a donation to the temple.” She took out her comb and fingered it.

“But Mother,” Yoshitaro frowned, “we have given to the temple every year, for generations. You know they do the annual memorials for Father and Grandfather, and they care for our graves. How can we refuse?”

“I haven’t finished, Yoshi. I’m not suggesting that we give them nothing.” She looked at Yoshitaro’s perplexed expression and smiled brightly, not revealing the rest of her plan.

“Then what . . . ?” he blurted out.

“What I suggest is that we give it to them, but as a loan at the going rate.” She reinserted her comb, a satisfied look on her face.

“A loan, Mother? But we can’t give the temple a loan. No one does that. Anyway, what would they use as collateral? What if they couldn’t pay the interest, or repay the loan?”

“They have collateral, Yoshi, a great deal of it. They have land, extensive holdings.”

“You mean . . . ?”

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“Yes, Yoshi, they’ll put up collateral, like anyone else who takes a loan. Land can never lose its value.”

“I . . . I’ve never heard of anyone doing this, Mother,” he stammered. “I wonder if the temple wouldn’t object, refuse the loan?”

“If they need money badly they’ll accept it, Yoshi, even as a loan. Where else would they get such a sum? We’ve been their chief source of funds for many years. They depend on us.”

“Well, let’s discuss it with Kinnosuke in the morning, shall we?” Yoshitaro said nervously.

“Of course,” Rie agreed. “And we should send word to the priest to have him come and meet with you and Kinno.”

“You seem confident that Kinnosuke will go along with this idea, Mother.”

“Kinno and I almost always agree in a question of business, Yoshi. We think alike,” Rie replied without hesitation.

“And he probably wouldn’t dare oppose you when you’re determined,” Yoshitaro murmured.

Yoshitaro hurried to the office the next morning to discuss his mother’s proposal with Kinnosuke before she appeared.

“Your mother’s judgment in business matters is usually infallible, Yoshi. I have never known her to be mistaken in a major decision,” he said.

And yet Yoshitaro could read the tension in the pallor of the other man’s face and the set of his jaw. He couldn’t openly oppose Rie, Yoshi knew, but for once it was apparent that he wanted to, something he had never done before. If word got out about what she planned to do, it could ruin them. Why was his mother so headstrong?

As if reading his thoughts, Kinnosuke said, “Loaning to the temple may be unprecedented, but she is correct that the temple is dependent on us financially, has been for many years.”

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“Then you think we should offer a loan in the amount they want?” Yoshitaro asked, his mouth dropping open.

Kinnosuke paused before answering. “I hesitate to oppose her on this, Yoshi. But I agree with you, it makes one uneasy.”

“Won’t it affect our reputation if it gets out among other brewers?” Yoshitaro persisted.

“It might.” Kinnosuke sucked in his breath. “First of all there’s no guarantee that the priests will accept the loan. But if they do I doubt they’ll make it public. We certainly wouldn’t. And this is really a family decision, so I won’t say anything, unless your mother insists.”

Once again, his mother was getting her way on everything. Yoshitaro sighed. “All right, Kinno-san. Let’s see what happens when the priest arrives.”

Several days later the two chief priests from the family temple in Kyoto arrived at the main entrance to White Tiger, where Yoshitaro and Kinnosuke awaited them. The senior of them was a rotund man with a large shaved head and heavy jowls, his status apparent in his bearing. The second priest was smaller, with a nervous squint and hands that seemed in continual motion. The priests bowed to Kinnosuke and Yoshitaro, though not as low as Yoshitaro and Kinnosuke. The priest’s composure reflected his usual role as communicant of the deities and dispenser of their benison rather than his present mission as supplicant. And as both were senior in age as well as being priests, Yoshitaro’s and Kinnosuke’s respectful posture was only natural.

“We are honored to have your presence in our humble establishment,” Yoshitaro said. “Please come this way.” He ushered the black-robed figures into the inner office and motioned them to be seated. O-Natsu had been instructed to serve the tea, her advanced age more appropriate to the rank of the priests. Rie had asked her to linger over the tea in the room, hoping to overhear some of the conversation and report back to her.

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“We are sorry to trouble you with our request,” the elder priest began. “We have had an unusually difficult time this year, particularly after the fire, followed by the drought that hit our region these past two years. We beg your consideration.” Both priests bowed. The junior of the two did not speak beyond the usual courtesies during the visit.

Yoshitaro reached to adjust his collar. “We understand your position. We are willing to offer you the total amount—” The two men looked at each other and smiled. “—but as a loan, at the usual terms of interest and collateral.” He bowed.

The senior priest’s left eye twitched. “A
loan
? I see.” He closed his eyes and exhaled, arms folded over his ample stomach. His eyes remained closed, his face as impassive as a Buddha.

For several minutes no one spoke.

Yoshitaro rose. “We will leave you alone.” He signaled Kinnosuke to follow him from the room.

Several minutes later Yoshitaro heard the elder priest cough. Yoshitaro and Kinnosuke returned to the room and seated themselves opposite the priests again. All four men bowed.

O-Natsu came in with more tea.

“We will be pleased to accept the terms of your offer,” the elder priest said and bowed, eyes nearly closed.

Yoshitaro brought an envelope from his sleeve and pushed it across the table to the priest. The visit was concluded.

O-Natsu shuffled as fast as she could to Rie’s room. “Oku-san,” she whispered at the door.

“Come in,” Rie said impatiently.

“The priests have accepted the loan,” O-Natsu announced with a triumphant smile.

Rie blew a sigh of relief and took out her small pipe. “Good.” She nodded. Why was it that she had a nagging uneasy feeling about the transaction?

O-Natsu coughed.

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“Yes, O-Natsu?”

O-Natsu bowed, in a nervous gesture. “What is it?”

“I don’t believe they were happy about it.”

As Rie knelt before the Butsudan altar one morning to pay her customary respects to the ancestors, she wondered if she had done the right thing, giving the temple a loan instead of paying double donation, as requested. A nagging worry made her feel unseasonably warm. She placed the rice bowl and sake cup before her parents’ name tablets, then set a stick of incense in the small metal censer and lit the taper. No, it was the right thing to do. She was certain her father would have approved. She bowed, holding her hands together, aware as she did so of another person in the room behind her. She turned.

“Oh, good morning, Yoshi.”

“Good morning, Mother.” Yoshitaro bowed slightly, and went to one side of the room to slide open a cupboard door. He began riffling through the contents.

“Where is the set of Hina Matsuri dolls, Mother? I thought they were kept here.”

Rie turned back to the Butsudan and busied herself. “Oh, I gave them to Fumi, Yoshi. You know, she wanted the old set the girls had when they were children.”

“Well, we need a set for Ume now. We can’t let March third go by without a set. We don’t want to deprive her on Girls’ Day, do we?” He closed the cupboard.

“Yes, Yoshi, you’re right,” Rie agreed. “The main house needs a set. Tama will see to it, won’t she?”

That evening Rie and Yoshitaro lingered at the table while Tama began clearing the dishes away. She glanced at Yoshitaro and nodded.

“Mother, I’ve asked Tama to order a full set of dolls for Girls’ Day next week.”

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“Fine, Yoshi,” Rie agreed. She fingered her comb, and rested her hands in her lap. “And I would like to invite Fumi to bring Mie when we set the dolls out. She’s already two, and otherwise Ume will be alone.”

Yoshitaro said nothing, but Rie noticed he glanced toward Tama who had reentered the room. Rie marked his silence, typi-cal when Fumi’s family was mentioned.

“Let’s get the finest set available, Tama,” Rie said. “And I’ll ask Fumi to bring Mie on the third.” Rie glanced at Yoshitaro out of the corner of her eye, but his face was impassive.

The set of dolls that arrived a few days later at the Omura household was truly impressive: fifteen dolls in their ancient court costume with a five-tiered display stand covered with a red velvet cloth. The emperor and empress stood on the top tier, the emperor to the left of the empress. The court ladies and banquet trays and dishes occupied the second tier. Below them were arrayed the ministers, musicians, and lower officials. Also displayed were a miniature chest of drawers, a hibachi, a dinner table set, bowls, a dressing table, musical instruments and a palanquin in which the Imperial couple rode, all in miniature.

“Wonderful workmanship, isn’t it, Tama?” Rie said, examining each piece closely.

“I’ll include the peach blossoms tomorrow, Mother,” Tama said, “for the feminine traits.”

“Oh, by all means,” Rie said with a wry smile. “Yes, mildness, peacefulness, and softness.”

“Ume is so excited,” Tama added.

Rie had been happy at the birth of Fumi’s daughter, another child to add to the future of White Tiger. “It will be wonderful to have Ume and Mie celebrate together,” Rie said.

Girls’ Day, the day Ume and Mie awaited breathlessly, arrived.

Both girls danced and waved their arms in front of the display. Rie took her granddaughters by the hand and sat with them. “Be careful Ume, Mie. You don’t want to touch the dolls.

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Let’s sit quietly and look at them. And O-Natsu has a special treat for you today.”

Fumi and Tama sat behind their daughters, whose eyes were riveted on the dolls.

Fumi reached over and touched the back of Ume’s pink brocade obi. “What a beautiful obi,” she said to Tama.
And so expensive,
she thought, but did not add.

Tama bowed slightly and looked down.

Fumi turned back to the doll display. “It’s a really fine set, Mother,” she said. “Better than the one we had when we were young, isn’t it?”